Beckman Coulter Adopts ARTEL Technology

ARTEL has recently announced that Beckman Coulter has adopted the ARTEL MVS (Multichannel Verification System) to verify the accuracy and precision of its automated liquid handling systems used in pharmaceutical and clinical laboratories. As part of Beckman Coulter?s Field Service Operational Qualification Program, an option available to the company?s Biomek customers, the MVS provides solid documentation about system performance, helping laboratories meet compliance, and regulatory requirements.

Because Biomeks quickly generate data used in critical assays and due to increasing regulatory pressure governing process controls, Beckman Coulter wanted a more convenient method to measure instrument performance. Upgrading its Field Service Operational Qualification Program technology with the MVS, a rapid and traceable system, allows Beckman Coulter to easily meet customer demands for documented validation.

?ARTEL?s MVS allows us to rapidly assess the performance of our instruments in the field and provide documented, traceable data,? notes Lisa Knapp, Technical Services manager for Beckman Coulter. ?This is especially important for some of our customers operating in regulated environments who need third-party validation of instrumentation and processes.?

The MVS is based on proprietary Ratiometric Photometry, which measures light absorption by two specially formulated dyes in order to verify volume, making it especially effective at low volumes. This ability to measure microliter volumes was paramount to Beckman Coulter?s selection of the MVS, especially as the company?s products advanced to handle smaller and smaller liquid quantities to meet market demands. Additionally, the MVS can perform calibration very quickly, and can be applied to Beckman Coulter?s full portfolio of Biomek Liquid Handlers, ranging from one to 384 channels.

?The MVS is becoming the tool of choice for laboratory liquid delivery quality assurance,? notes Knapp. ?We equipped our service representatives with a standard performance measurement tool so they can communicate in the same language with ARTEL?s customers using the MVS on the bench, and this will streamline service visits.? Robust and unaffected by environmental conditions, the MVS is portable and user-friendly, facilitating its use by service representatives in the field as well as by end-users for interim checks.

?Beckman Coulter?s commitment to quality and customer service is impressive,? notes Kirby Pilcher, President, ARTEL. ?ARTEL will continue to innovate new technologies for liquid delivery quality assurance and is pleased to work alongside an industry leader such as Beckman Coulter to enhance accuracy and precision in laboratories.?